Most of petrol pumps in Bhaktapur unsafe

Laxmi Garu 

Bhaktapur - Two persons sustained injury when a fire broke out at Siddhartha Petrol Pump located nearby the Lohakilthali Manahara bridge at Madhyapur Thimi-1 on June 27. The pump suddenly caught fire after a spark came out from nozal of the tanker and a joint of pipe of the tank while pouring petrol from the tanker. 

In the incident of fire, Ram Bahadur Tamang, an employee at the petrol pump, had his right hand and leg burnt while local shop keeper Pratima Tamang also sustained burn injuries at face, backbone, neck and two legs. Tamang with eight-month pregnancy is undergoing treatment at Global Hospital. 

Likewise, in another incident, property of Gaurishanker Traders Hardware worth around Rs 1 million had turned into ashes in the fire that broke out from the underground room of Saajha Petrol Pump at Madhyapur Thimi-3, Chardobato. 

Three people were injured when the air pipe of the tire resoling shop located in the same building. Saajha Pump was distributing petrol when it caught fire. It was the incident during the period of trade embargo enforced by India. 

Though the incidents of fire in petrol pumps of Bhaktapur are recurring, the authorities concerned are turning deaf ear to regulate the operational management of the pumps. 

Petrol pumps in Bhaktapur are being operated in unsafe condition with no secured boundary in the sensitive zone and prevalence of weak safety measures.